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Here, we present some of your responses to the news, views and entertainment you've seen on cairolive.com. Thanks, and please keep on commenting. New Letters
updated May 4, 2003
Reactions to "the view from cairo" The
UN, my friend, is very important, more so than you realize. (see "A
new type of UN report", April 2003) If the UN
closes its doors on Monday, China will attack Taiwan on Tuesday,
Pakistan will attack India on Wednesday, North Korea will attack South
Korea and Japan on Thursday, Russia will point its weapons at the USA
on Friday, and Germany and France will take Britain on Saturday. Then
they'll all wish they had kept the UN. The article about the mood in
Cairo after the war is great (see "The
scenarios are already blooming", April 2003),
but we need more news about
people's moods and what intellectuals are saying about the
happiness in the streets of Iraq which we see so much of in the US
media. Is it true? Or are
these just a bunch of stray people in the streets? Do these
people think they will really be better off after what happened?
Threatening Syria
While I supported the right of
the United States to retaliate against the Taleban and Al Qaeda for
the murder of 3,000 American citizens, I in no way supported the
illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. And yes, despite the
denials coming from the mouths of the liars in Washington lately, I
fully expect Syria to be the next "target" (see "Shock
and Awe becomes Disbelief and Wonder", April
2003) on the list of nations drawn up by the neo-con "Israel
Firsters" who are behind this madness.
However, I would like to point
out one thing that nobody seems to be talking about: It now looks to
me like the real reason the United States withdrew from the
international criminal court was because these atrocities against
sovereign nations were planned from the beginning, and if the court
had jurisdiction, then all these American war criminals would face
prosecution. Now, unfortunately they will answer to no one.
I am a 46 year old American, and
I love my country, but I'm repulsed by what is being done by my
government, and in my name.
Mike Bryant I am an American who while
wandering through newspapers around the world, came upon your column
"the view from cairo". You look and sound like a
nice, well educated young man. What amazes me is the
difference in the way we perceive the same events. You wonder
how we are so quick to threaten Syria, a country, by the way, known
to harbor terrorists. I, on the other hand, see absolutely nothing
wrong with putting Syria on notice that we will not tolerate their
harboring Iraqi leaders or their having weapons of mass destruction.
When the opportunity to prevent potential problems presents itself,
you seize it if you are in a position to do so. We call that
"common sense", by the way, not imperialism.
America isn't going to attack
Syria. We just want them to realize that they can't
continue down a path that leads to a regime like Saddam's without
possibly someday suffering the same fate.
Americans and the American
government are not hawks. We love peace for ourselves and for
all mankind. That said, we have fought and died for peace
in our country and we have fought and died for peace beside our
friends and allies in their countries. We love our freedom,
and we are quick to defend it. You consider that imperialistic, I
consider it smart.
Yes, war does cause people pain. Innocent Iraqis died -- innocent Americans died. Families on both sides will suffer those losses. How many Iraqis will no longer suffer at Saddam and his sons' hands. Is that not "something better".
May God bless you and every
man, woman and child. May he remind us all that we are
brothers and sisters, and should love one another and live in peace
together.
Duane Moreland
American empire Way
to go Tarek! (see
"Saddam's
new tape, and America's old imperialism",
April,
2003) We've
been in the midst of American empire even before the physical
occupation of our brothers and sisters in Iraq, in more
dubious cultural forms! But, now that the Arabs are playing the
American media/cultural game, they might just undermine America's
political hegemony one day using the same tricks of the trade. I read your
new article, and it is
really a powerful and truthful statement about the
current situation where the illegal occupation is being justified as
the best thing that happened and
no one is able to object. Thanks for the excellent
article about American cultural imperialism.
I think the French -- even before the Arabs -- recognized that effect
in their culture. But in spite of
some resistance by some French cultural
leaders here and there, the influence is still great.
Praise -- general and specific I follow your site every
day. I particularly enjoyed the
article on Arabiya
TV and the pictures of the demonstrations. I also like
the Arabic
news on zahma.com
which I am able to access now at work by installing Explorer.
I wonder when Arabiya will consider doing a news feed
in English via the internet like al-Jazeera? I love Cairo
Live.. wi ya3ni if I loved it anymore I would be
wearing I love torshi 3ala 2afaya wi mashya beeha fil shari3.. Its
funny cus i was just at el fishawi like on the first of this month..
so lucky timing.. I hope all is well.. the pics ur posting are awesome
and generally keep up ur distinguished efforts representing for us Egyptian
Americans!
General war talk CLICK
HERE FOR
LATEST WAR HEADLINES As a proud American I have a
question regarding the Middle East. When Saddam is toppled, will all
other non-democratic countries in the Middle-East want their absolute
freedom as well? And will they want the U.S to help? Today I saw Mr. C.I.A.
Woosley's emotional comments on TV about all the wonderful changes
coming the Arabs way, no matter who they might be, and I also heard
about another checkpoint misfortune, with the lives of three Iraqis,
including that of a two year old girl, taken away by well meaning US
Marines. I am an anti-war protester on Iraq.
It is a great tragedy to declare war on
any country, whose sanctions have been
violated by the very organization that
is meant to prevent war. The UN was not
heard, and the voices of innocent men, women
and children were heard instead, in
cries of agony from the warfare. Just to let you know that we
feel the pain from every shot that is fired and every bomb that is
dropped and every drop of blood that is lost because we are able to
see the hidden agenda without blinkers. The Western world is oblivious
to the scars of war and the pain and the injustice, and most of all,
to the culture and dignity of the Arab people. Very often these nights I
look at my children sleeping peacefully and think how horrifying it
must be for the children of Iraq and wonder what did children of Jenin
experienced? If the Palestinian people had
embraced the teachings and actions of Mahatma Ghandi and Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. ten years ago, there would be a Palestinian state
today. Never has there been a better example of how to achieve freedom
without acrimony. Why won't Palestinian leaders and people simply do
what is right? Why do Arab people support violence for Palestinians
yet denounce it when an oppressed people is being liberated in Iraq?
Regarding the article in the
"Dutch?" newspaper with the photo of Iraqi men being
paraded naked through a park by US soldiers, this is just another
example of how people throughout the world are doing everything they
can to make us look like horrible people when we aren't. If you will
look at that photo very carefully, as I have, you will notice that
the soldiers' shadows are coming toward you, as are the shadows of
the structures, but the shadows of the Iraqi men are going the other
way! This means this is a doctored photo. I'm not surprised that it
is, but you should be and you should all consider that everything
you read over there is not necessarily true, in fact it probably
isn't since there is so much hatred. Just like you, we are
individuals. I just hope all of you are smart enough to try to find
out the truth (like I did with the photo) instead of just listening
to people who have another agenda. Please look at that picture
again. Thank you and God bless you all.
Jill There is a lot of
brainwashing these days. I live in New Jersey, USA. I have
noticed that even though George Bush is a smart man, I think he
sometimes forgets that there others can also use their minds and
analyze. First it was the idea of removing weapons of mass
destruction. Then they changed it to the liberation of the Iraqi
people once they found no such weapons! Why can't more people
see that what's going on is a new cold war against Muslims? How do I begin? What a mess it
has been in the Middle East. With the invention of the internet you
would think that someone could come up with some sort of translated
chat room so ordinary citizens of any country could have a dialog. We
all know that war is always a last resort and at all means should be
avoided. But we should always remember what absolute horrific crimes
were committed by previous dictators while the world stood by and
watched. As a superpower the United States is responsible to make sure
these crimes are not allowed to occur again. As an ordinary American
citizen I am aware of only some of the mistakes the United States
government has made, as I am sure other citizens from other countries
are aware of only limited mistakes their government has made. I can
assure the world that the majority of people in the United States
believe in peace and goodwill for all mankind. I know many that are
actively deployed to fight this war. They all are goodhearted human
beings wishing well for all the world. War is ugly. I am sure that
some incidents will occur that we wish could be taken back. But in the
end I strongly believe that the Middle Eastern nations will become
more secure and Iraq can show the world the way of peace. You cannot
always believe everything you see on television. Remember, there are
always two sides to every story. As to the American Oil connection, I
know that we will be spending a great deal of money to finance this
war and the clean up afterwards. Don't you think that the country that
benefits from the growth afterwards should help in these efforts? I
strongly believe the American people will not remain in Iraq in the
long term, only to help the nation get back on their feet again.
Please, let us all communicate more. Let's get a translated forum
between ordinary citizens going so we can all discuss our problems and
resolve them. I have the ability in my country to select who I want
running it. I understand many don't. But we can all discuss different
solutions and help each other. I'm an Egyptian American living
in the United States and I'd like to express my dismay and
disappointment towards this unjust war. I say this as an American
Muslim whose beliefs go against killing innocent civilians because
their leader is crazy. I know the media and specifically President
Bush claim this is all for the sake of Iraq's "Freedom" --
however I find it very difficult to buy this. Why would the US spend
billions of dollars on this war? For the Iraqi people? Then why didn't
the US ever think about "saving and freeing" the
Palestinians from living under Israel's oppressive government, that
has openly violated human rights and that claims to be a democracy yet
has killed up to 1000 Palestinians who defend their nation weaponless?
Why hasn't the US called Sharon a crazy leader and a mass murderer?
Don't get me wrong, Saddam is an awful man who has killed many, but US
policy seems very biased. Israel has all the weapons of mass
destruction it desires (with the help of American taxes) yet Iraq is
the threat right now and its weapons (sold to them by the US during
the Iraq-Iran war) are the cause behind 9/11. Having
been born in Cairo, but raised in North America, from a very young
age, my heart goes out to all those who suffer at the hands of those
who want to control the Middle East for their own gain. The Middle
East is the heart of the world and should always be that way. CLICK
HERE FOR LATEST WAR HEADLINES
Clean Alex I was in Alex in 1993 eating on
the wharf and spent the night there. It was clean
then as well -- it's a beautiful place in general.
Do you have
a comment on any of the above or on anything else on cairolive.com?
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